


A Stitch in Time to Save a Life

by Scribbling Mama (melgibson87)



Series: AU August 2018 [29]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU August, AU Yeah AUgust (Miraculous Ladybug), Adrien's in a coma, Adrien's in limbo, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, Female Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Marinette and Alya go back in time, Marinette is distraught, Nino is only hope to save Adrien, Nino is the answer, Strangers to Lovers, Time Handler Nino, Time Travel, Time is running out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 04:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15833733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melgibson87/pseuds/Scribbling%20Mama
Summary: Alya and Marinette are desperate to get Adrien back after he's badly injured during an akuma attack. For Marinette's sake, Alya will do all she can to help her friends. If that means going back in time to find some Time Handler, then so be it. She just never counted on the Time Handler to be so stinking handsome nor so new to his job. Heck, how does one get one's self stuck in the Wild West anyway? Now, they're stuck in this rough town, searching for someone named Nino Lahiffe, an apprentice who has more power to shift time and space than anyone has ever known. He's their only hope to save Adrien.They'll have to work fast though to return to their time. Adrien's condition is beyond perilous, stuck in a limbo that can and will end if someone decides to end his medical care. With a ticking clock against them, Alya can only hope to solve all their problems while also not trying to fall in love with the Time Handler. She may have bitten off more than she can handle with this one.





	A Stitch in Time to Save a Life

**Author's Note:**

> Day 29 of AU Yeah August. Time Travel AU. Pairing: DJWifi (Alya/Nino). Pairing requested by a follower on Tumblr.
> 
> This is my first attempt at a time travel-type story. So, please, bear with me as I work through the various elements I'll have to explore and handle throughout this (what's promising to be) cute story.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this first chapter. More will come soon.

 

"M, how is he?" Alya asked as she raced up the street, meeting her distraught friend. She frowned as she took in the smeared mascara smudging the designer's cheeks. Wrapping her arms around her friend, she whispered, "We'll fix this. I promise we'll fix this."

"He's in a coma, Al. What am I supposed to do without him?" Marinette's voice came out little more than a choked rasp as she fought the tears brimming her eyes. "He's my Chat. I can't lose him."

"You won't. I swear, M. We won't lose him," Alya rushed to assure the woman in her arms. "If anyone can help us, it's Master Fu. Let's go. His parlor is right there." She pointed to the building just ahead of them, a reassuring smile plastered across her face. It took her a few extra minutes to persuade Marinette to put one foot in front of another. 

The quiet of the parlor typically unnerved Alya whenever she visited in the past months. That night, she welcomed the calmness that quiet exuded, hoping it helped with soothing Marinette's troubled soul. It didn't take a genius to know that Marinette and Adrien belonged together, even before they'd learned they made up the best superhero duo Paris has ever seen. If Alya had anything to say about it, Marinette wouldn't have to worry about losing her soulmate any time soon. 

"Master Fu," Alya called out, not too loud though she wanted to shout until the old man shuffled into the room and investigated. "Please, we need your help."

"I know what you seek, young Alya," the old man spoke from a doorway behind them. "I'm afraid that the answer you seek isn't a simple one."

"What does that mean?" she demanded, her arms shaking from their strong hold on Marinette. She feared letting them slip for even a moment, sensing Marinette would wilt to the floor in her grief. If her best friend did, Alya almost knew that she'd have a hard time convincing her to stand back up. She'd never seen the raven-haired woman so distraught, so traumatized. 

"Come inside. I have a tea that will help Marinette." He turned and walked into the back room, pulling a kettle from the stove and pouring the steaming liquid into a waiting teacup. 

"We don't have time for tea, Master Fu. We need to fix Adrien. He's in trouble." Alya wished she could grab the old man and shake him. She wanted him to feel a smidge of the angst they felt from the latest events and the most recent akuma. 

"I'm well aware of Chat Noir's predicament." The slight man said as he set down the tray of filled teacups and offered his little kwami a plate of treats. "Tikki, Trixx, would you care to join us?"

The other two kwamis came out of hiding to sit near Wayzz and enjoy the snacks prepared for them as well. Their nervous and sad eyes never left their charges.

"And you, Plagg, will you be joining us, too?" Master Fu glanced at the little purse at Marinette's hip. 

Alya glanced down with some consternation at the little purse, her eyes narrowing as the little black cat emerged. His own eyes glared menacingly at the Guardian as he slowly moved toward the plate.

"Sit, ladies. Let's have a little talk, shall we?" He sat at the table, his hand waving at the open spots around the table.

It took Alya some more cajoling to get Marinette to cooperate, finally setting her down near the table where she proceeded to eye the tea with some skepticism. Taking her cue from her best friend and superhero mentor, she turned her attention to demand answers. "What's in the tea? I don't want anything happening to Marinette right now. She's been through enough."

"It's a special brew that will help her sleep. It's nothing to worry about, young Alya." As though to assure the reporter within the fierce fox superhero, he took a sip of his tea before offering her a small smile as he set the cup down.

Nodding, she picked up the cup and set it in Marinette's hands, urging the young designer to take a few sips. "Come on, M. Adrien wouldn't want to see you like this. Please, drink it for him if you won't do it for me. Please."

Marinette stared at the cup a while longer before raising it to her lips and sipping with some difficulty. 

Feeling better about seeing some movement, Alya turned her attention back to the Guardian, asking, "What did you mean earlier? Why would the task in helping Chat Noir not be a simple one? What do we need to do? We need him back. She needs him back."

Master Fu's attention settled on Marinette for a moment, his eyes softening as he took in the once-fierce and stubborn Ladybug. She looked barely a shell of the person either of them knew as she continued to sip at the tea, playing with the cup more. 

"I can see that. I'm sure he'd be in worse shape if their roles had been reversed," the Guardian mused, his hand playing with his beard as he considered whatever words he prepared to speak next. 

Alya grew weary of his games as she rose to her knees, leaning across the table and pointing her finger at him. "Tell me what we need to do. We'll do it. We have to."

His gaze met hers for a long time, neither speaking as he seemed to consider something within her. She didn't know what he saw as he finally spoke. "Drink your tea, young Alya. The mission will become clear soon enough."

Shoving down her desire to scream, she glanced down at the lukewarm tea. Without considering her actions, she picked up the cup and gulped down the tea in two swallows. She tried to glare at the old man in front of her, but she found her eyes had trouble focusing. 

Concerned, she glanced over at Marinette and found the designer slumped against the table, asleep from the tea she'd consumed.

"Wh-what have you done?" Alya managed to say, her eyes closing despite her efforts to keep them open.

"It'll all become clear soon, young Alya. You just have to trust me." 

Those had been the final words she'd heard before she succumbed to the sleep working to claim her.

 

00000

 

A sharp knock stirred Alya from her slumber, pulling her toward consciousness despite her mind's desire to resume the dreamless sleep she'd been enjoying. 

"Wake up! I have customers waiting for the room. You've had your fun time," the strong feminine voice called out. 

Stirring more, Alya peeked her eyes open before blinking them wide as they took in her new surroundings. She had no idea where they were, but she knew they weren't in Paris any longer. At least, not modern Paris if the washbasin commode and lumpy bed were anything to go by. 

"What's going on?" Marinette asked, coming awake beside Alya. Her hand came up to rub at her stained cheeks from the previous evening. As her eyes met Alya's, she asked, "Where are we?"

Alya didn't know what to say, giving her shoulders a quick shrug as she dared to glance around again. "I'm not sure, M. The last I remember we were in Master Fu's parlor. He drugged us."

"Why would he do that?" Marinette's hand went to her hip and found her purse missing. "Tikki? Tik, where are you?"

Dawning horror grew within Alya as she felt her jacket, finding it empty of Trixx. "Trixx? Come on. This is no time for games."

Alya's hand went for her necklace, relieved to find it intact yet glowing. "Trixx?"

"Where's Tikki, Alya?" The designer's hand went to her ears, finding her earrings there as well. 

"I think they're in our jewelry. I'm not sure why though," Alya whispered, her mind trying desperately to catch up with all that seemed to be happening to them.

The sharp knock sounded again, shaking the door on its hinges this time.

"Out, now! Don't make me come in for you." That same deep voice sounded more than threatening, spurring Alya to move off the bed and dragging Marinette with her.

She offered the abrasive woman a short apology, adding her most effective glare she could manage despite her shaken thoughts. 

On the streets, she gasped as she took in the rustic buildings, guessing they'd entered some time warp and felt around her pockets for any clues. The crinkle of paper in her pants pocket almost brought a loud sigh to her lips as she pulled the paper free. 

"M, look at this. It's from Master Fu." Alya held the paper out for them both to read, her mind awhirl with the possibilities of where they were, how they'd gotten there, and what possible reason they had for being there. Thankfully, her mind soon settled as each of those answers grew a little clearer with the Guardian's letter. 

"It says we need to find someone named Nino. I don't know anyone by that name, Al." Marinette stared at her friend, her eyes filling with exhausted, frustrated tears. "How are we ever going to find this Nino person?"

"Hey, hey, we'll figure it out, M. Please, don't worry just yet. We'll find this Nino guy, get back to our time from wherever we are, and save Adrien. Please, have a little faith. We can do this." She pulled the petite designer into her arms and held tight for a few minutes, allowing her friend to settle her frazzled nerves. 

"Better?" she asked after a few minutes had passed. 

Marinette nodded.

"Okay, let's find this Nino person. Surely, someone here knows who he is." Taking a look around the rustic buildings, she smiled upon seeing the general mercantile store and stepped from the wooden boardwalk, her hand firmly clasped around Marinette's. "Come on. We can ask someone in here."

Inside the store, she approached the first person she came across, putting her hand on the man's arm and asking, "Sir, I'm hoping you can help me. I'm looking for someone."

The man gazed over her, his eyes almost leering at her weird state of dress. 

She shuddered and moved back, hoping the man wouldn't follow them as she changed their course and headed toward the woman behind the counter.

"How can I help you two ladies today?" The woman glanced over them, her eyes almost seeming wise beyond her years as she motioned them forward. "I have some lovely dresses you might like."

"We're actually looking for someone, not something." Alya pulled Marinette closer, a little concerned the man from earlier had indeed followed them. "We're looking for someone named Nino."

The woman's smile became a large and welcoming one as she proudly declared, "Nino? Why didn't you say so? I know him. I'll be happy to take you to him, but first, I must insist you try on some dresses. Your clothing isn't exactly right or proper for this time, young Alya."

"How did you know my name? Who are you?" Alya moved back a step, her hand gripping Marinette's tighter as she peeked behind them and caught the leering man still lurking nearby.

"I'll explain everything, I promise, but first, those dresses." The woman motioned them to follow, not giving them a chance to accept or decline. "In here, ladies, if you please."

Alya met Marinette's gaze for a moment, seeing Marinette give a slight nod before leading the way into the room the store clerk indicated.

What more could possibly happen?

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://scribblingmama.tumblr.com)
> 
> Update 6/10/19: This story will be completed and is on my list to finish. Right now, I'm working on a schedule to make this happen for all my WIPs. I will update everyone in the near future the progress being made for this story and other WIPs here on AO3.


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